Australian NBA big man Aron Baynes reflects on sudden end to NBA season

Aron Baynes is a free agent and will likely earn offers from around the NBA and Europe. Photo: AP

A drive, a shot, a swish and then it was over.

The San Antonio Spurs reign as NBA champions ended too soon as LA Clippers guard Chris Paul's looping runner won game seven of the two teams' epic western conference first round series last weekend.

For Baynes it may also end his time with the Spurs, perhaps the most celebrated, respected team in world sport.

This off-season Baynes is a free agent and will likely earn offers from around the NBA and Europe where his currency as a strong rebounder and inside presence remains high.

The Spurs retain the right to make a qualifying offer to Baynes before June 30 which would allow them to match any offer he receives from another NBA club.

The burly Cairns' native has spent the past three seasons with the Spurs, joining midway through the 2012-2013 campaign and appearing in two straight NBA finals series including the Spurs' championship win last season.

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Baynes has come a long way in that time, working endlessly on his post moves, his ball skills and his game knowledge.

There is no doubt he has made major strides this season playing 70 out of 82 games and starting 17 of them while averaging 6.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds.

The 28 year old has received a master-class in post play from Spurs' superstar Tim Duncan, an ageless great of the game who some fear may retire and set off a host of personnel changes at the club.

Speaking to Fairfax Media this week, Baynes admitted it hadn't hit him the Spurs' season had so suddenly finished.

"That's been the west [conference] this whole season and we knew it would be a tough series.

"It was a crazy series, we both won games at each others' place and that doesn't happen often in playoffs.

"It was a good series, two good teams and in the end someone had to go home.

"It's a crash back to reality but it will only make everyone more hungry because from Tim Duncan to Kyle Anderson [a Spurs rookie] we all wish we were still playing."

A US gossip site published a video of the Spurs leaving an LA nightspot for their team bus filming the players after they had been enjoying post season drinks.

Baynes was shown merrily heading towards the bus with his arm around Duncan, fellow Aussie Patty Mills, Boris Diaw and other Spurs were filmed as they got onto the team bus with the video shown around the internet.

"It must have been a pretty quiet night for them to film us," Baynes quipped.

"We were just enjoying being a team – we are not sure what will happen next year and we wanted to enjoy the time we have left together."

That's the closest Baynes went to discussing his future – he has long been a player who leaves that role to his agent and concentrates on playing basketball.

With his Spurs' experience and strong inside game, Baynes may well be able to cash in this offseason and earn even more money the next season when the NBA's new $2.66 billion broadcast deal begins – NBA salaries are predicted to rise by 30 per cent.

"I'm not going to speculate on what might happen – I'm going to take some time off then play for the Australian national team," Baynes said.

"That's why I have an agent – I'll let him handle that."

In Baynes' mind, getting more minutes proved all the difference this season and he added that he had prepared throughout the past two years for the chance to play regular minutes.

"I was getting more opportunities and more comfortable when I was playing – I knew my role and tried to do it night in, night out," Baynes said.

"When you are more comfortable in the Spurs' system then good things happen.

"It's not like I did more work this year, when I wasn't playing I would make up for it on the training court so when I had to play more it wasn't too much different."

The next year promises to be a landmark one for Australian basketball as Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis looks to bring together all his NBA and European players for the first time with the aim of winning a medal at the Rio Olympics.

First the Boomers have to beat New Zealand in their two-legged Olympic qualifier starting at Rod Laver Arena on August 15 and ending in Wellington a few days later.